Referee won't let ALS slow down his lifestyle

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Barry Schultz and his wife, Susan , with Ryan Howard at the July Phillies Phestival. Schultz has done tireless charity work.

By Marc Narducci
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Inquirer Columnist

Barry Schultz has a disease with no known cure, yet the veteran high school and college basketball referee refuses to cry foul. And he also remains at the top of his game despite being diagnosed in March 2006 with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's Disease.
ALS is a progressive neuromuscular disorder that affects the nerves that control the muscles, eventually leading to paralysis.

Schultz, a 54-year-old married father of three daughters who lives in Haddon Heights and attended Camden County Tech, know about all the grim statistics but has maintained a sunny outlook.

"They say that those who have it live two to five years," Schultz said. "My game is in overtime."

And his game is being played at the highest of levels.

Besides working a full-time job for Bristol-Meyers Squibb in Lawrenceville, where this former welder now plans schedules for the mechanics and supervises their work, Schultz says he also still officiates about 70 basketball games a year.

A majority of the games he does are college games, but last week he was a referee for the Paul VI-Washington Township boys' basketball matchup. Paired with Ron Martin and Basil Kuzio, the trio had one of the best-officiated high school games seen this season by this observer.

"He has that disease, and you wouldn't know it," said Carl Garlitos, a longtime friend of Schultz and a high school and college basketball official. "He is not only one of the top high school officials but one of the best college officials around."

According to Ellyn Phillips, president of the ALS Association, Greater Philadelphia Chapter, about 30,000 people in the United State at any one time have ALS.

The first time Phillips met Schultz, she did a double take. It was at a bike ride to raise money for ALS in June of 2006.

"I couldn't believe that he was riding in our race," Phillips said. "He is an amazing person."

Schultz has a group he calls "Barry's Bikers" who participate in these charitable bike races on behalf of ALS. In three years, his team has raised more than $42,000, including $24,000 last year.

"We were the top fund-raising team in the bike ride," he said proudly.

In September, Schultz participated in a bike ride to raise funds for multiple sclerosis. Schultz rode 50 miles that day.

Beyond his good nature is a steely resolve that has kept him highly motivated.

"People say, 'Why me?' and I say, 'Why not me?' " he said. "We all have to die from something. I know if the ALS progresses, it could be tough on my family. But right now, what are you going to do?"

For starters, he keeps peddling, keeps running and keeps inspiring.

Schultz says he has met some wonderful people through the ALS Foundation. In the summer, he was a guest of the Phillies at their annual ALS fund-raiser. Schultz got to mingle with the players and said he had a blast. Each day he takes nothing for granted and lives life to its fullest.

"You try to take something negative and do the best you can and hope it takes a while before it gets you," he said matter of factly.

The 6-foot, 150-pound Schultz says he is in no pain, but one sign of his ALS is that his right biceps has become atrophied and his grip is a little weaker.

Other than that, he lives to work, lives to officiate and lives to enjoy life with his family. His pride and joy has always been officiating, a job in which a person has to take loads of verbal abuse, in which the fans and coaches alike question everything from a person's eyesight to his intelligence.

For some reason, officials still thrive in this atmosphere.

Schultz says he doesn't want to be treated differently by coaches or the fans. He wants simply to be accepted as a referee and judged by his accomplishments.

Officiating is one of the things that has kept Schultz going. Because of that, here's hoping that he continues to get yelled at in packed gyms for a long, long time.



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Contact staff writer Marc Narducci at 856-779-3225
or mnarducci@phillynews.com.

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